Browsing: India

Mumbai: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is designing post-retirement income products to outperform conventional annuities while sustaining the double-digit accumulation returns under the National Pension System, chairman Sivasubramanian Ramann said.Addressing the PFRDA Retire Smart India event in association with TOI, Ramann said the brief goes beyond tweaks. “The biggest challenge that PFRDA has got is to put a pension account in each Indian’s hand,” he said, as the regulator pushes corporate adoption.Current rules require 20% of corpus to buy insurer annuities, which are often criticised for modest, inflexible payouts. The regulator is weighing alternatives. “We have to create…

NEW DELHI: A scuffle between rival student groups at the Arts Faculty of Delhi University on Friday triggered allegations of assault and counter-claims of violence, with both sides accusing each other of intimidation and misconduct.In a statement, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that a woman journalist associated with a YouTube channel was attacked around 2 pm while covering a protest on campus.ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma claimed that left-wing student activists manhandled the journalist after she questioned protesters. He further alleged that several of those involved were not students of Delhi University (DU) and demanded strict action…

The incident took place when the first grader was waiting for her meal at the govt school in Guluru, Tumakuru district BENGALURU: In a shocking case of alleged negligence, a six-year-old girl lost two fingers in a freak accident at a govt primary school on the outskirts of Tumakuru, about 75km from Bengaluru, and was reportedly left without immediate medical attention as she bled in pain.The incident occurred on Feb 11 but came to light only now. The class 1 student was waiting in a queue for her midday meal on the school premises at Guluru when an iron classroom…

Hyderabad: Seeking to blunt the Congress’s post-poll momentum, Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao on Friday dismissed the ruling party’s claimed victory in the municipal elections as ‘inflated and aided by misuse of power’.At a press conference, Rao said the results reflected the BJP’s steady rise rather than a decisive Congress wave. He pointed out that the party’s vote share had increased from 13% to 20%, calling it clear evidence of expanding support, while asserting that the BRS was in decline. He alleged that Congress and BRS secured wins in several places with the backing of Majlis. “Congress and BRS…

Women renters face moral policing and broker harassment in Chennai despite growing acceptancePriyanka M, who works in a private firm and recently moved from Tiruvallur, spent 6 months and viewed nearly 60 houses before securing a rental in Egmore. For Shreya P, who relocated from Salem and now lives in T Nagar, the challenge was different—broker calls, moral scrutiny over profession and lifestyle, random enquiries through social media flatmate groups, among others.Though market numbers suggest the city is becoming more accommodating to independent women renters and proptech platforms are trying to keep brokers at bay, the situation is different on…

Gandhinagar: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a meeting of the governing council of the Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Trust (MGSAMT) in Gandhinagar on Friday. An official statement said that progress on works related to modernization and renovation of the Sabarmati Ashram was reviewed during the meeting.An official statement said that 28 houses were being restored. Of these, work was completed on 22, and work on the rest will be over by March. Approximately 98,000 trees and plants had been planted so far; 16,000 more are to be planted by March, the statement added. Ahmedabad: Transit Surge, Civic Reforms, Campus…

Prayagraj: As part of state govt’s efforts to boost production and consumption of green energy, Prayagraj district will be developed as a solar city and has been given a target of installing 1 lakh solar panels by 2027.”So far, applications for 27,145 solar panels have been received while 12,154 panels already installed under this scheme. As of Feb 9, the district is generating 36,562 kW of solar energy,” said UPNEDA project manager Komil Dwivedi (additional charge). The move is crucial to make UP self-reliant in power generation. In the state 2026-27 budget, the govt prioritised green energy by proposing Rs…

Kendrapada: Stressing the need for integrated development of Paradip, chief secretary Anu Garg on Friday said the port town must grow in tandem with the proposed PCPIR, plastic park, AM/NS India facilities, proposed green hydrogen hub and supporting townships, tourism infrastructure and urban amenities.She said planned land use, strong law and order, and inclusive public infrastructure will be crucial to driving industrial expansion in the area.During her visit, Garg was accorded a guard of honour by CISF and inspected port operations along with Paradip Port Authority (PPA) chairman P L Haranadh. She said the port has shown remarkable performance, handling…

Tirupur: Two power loom employees were arrested on Friday, in connection with the murder of a garment unit employee in Avinashi in Tirupur district.The arrested were identified as G Anand, 26, from Tirupur, and S Saravanan, 35, from Kumbakonam. Both were working in a power loom unit in Avinashi.Police said they murdered D Sagayaraj 51, of Soolai Maruti Nagar, in a drunken brawl near Chinneripalayam on Thursday. Sagayaraj was employed in a garment unit in the city. His body was found near Chinneripalayam in Avinashi on Thursday morning. “Investigation revealed that the deceased and the arrested had consumed liquor together…

Gurgaon: MCG announced on Friday that it fixed most of the city’s 40 worst sewer and drainage trouble spots, even as several key works remain unfinished. Officials now aim to complete all projects by April or May. The status was reviewed at a meeting of the sewerage management cell (SMC) chaired by commissioner Pradeep Dahiya.Meanwhile, data from MCG records show that of the 40 identified projects under the city’s sewer-repair initiative, only 12 are fully completed while 28 are in progress at different stages.Of the ongoing works, 10 projects are between 25% and 50% complete, 11 are between 50% and…